Window washer



Jan. 7, 1958 K. A. KLINGLER WINDOW WASHER 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Sept. 26, 1952 muonwuv fog/i5.

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K. A. KLINGLER WINDOW WASHER Jan. 7, 195 8 INVENTOR. 20 9M a. W 7,

Filed Sept. 26, 1952 United States Patent "WINDOW WASHER Karl A.-Kling'ler, Naperville, lll.

Application September 26, 1952, Serial No. 311,564

8 Claims. (Cl. -127) This invention relates :to window washing devices and the like, with the device arranged preferably so that a stream of "water may be fed under pressure through a handle by whichthe cleaning head is manipulated-inpressure relationship'to the glass window :pane or other surface to be cleaned.

It is one of the objects :of the invention to provide an improved structure by which a cleaning head may be handled to the best advantage and pressed against the window'pane or other surface in the desired operative position for the best cleaning effects with respect to the surfacexover which the head is reciprocated.

Another object of the invention is 'to'provide improved valve means by which the application of water under pressure -to the cleaning head :of my invention .may be controlled readily 'and easily,'whe1:eby the eifective pressure of the stream of water .on 'thexpane of a window or other surface may -:be controlled, with the effective pressure of the :stream of water controlled preferably at least in part .by the forceofthe pressure of :the head against the surfacebeing cleaned.

Another object of this invention is to .provide'improved connections between the head and the handle of a struc- .ture of the above type whereby the :pressure on the handle by the operator shall .cause the head to press evenly against the face of the surface being .cleaned regardless of any slight irregularities in such surface.

It is one of the specific objects of the invention to provide an improved form of connector device comprising preferably a ball of rubber or the like'by which the head member .of'a cleaning device may be mounted resiliently in position on'a handle, so arranged that a water-tight connection maybe effectedeasily and quickly in the assembly of the device without the use of separately-formed gaskets.

It is another object of the invention -to provide a pipe fitting structure provided with improved means for resiliently mounting a -valve-controlledlever 'movably in position extending into thefitting, such means comprising preferably a disc of rubber orthelike having formed integrally therewith a hub-like part in which the lever is fixedly mounted, with the arrangement such that the parts may be easily and quickly fitted togetherso as to be water-tight and thus prevent the-escape of water under pressure at the axis of the lever.

A'further object of :this invention is to improve devices of this type in sundry details hereinafter pointed out. The preferred means by which these objects have been accomplished are illustrated in the accompanying two sheets of drawings, in which Fig. -l is a'persp'ective viewlof thetpreferredform of the cleaning device in operative position under pressure on the face of a window;

Fig. '2 is a vertical cross sectional view taken on a substantially enlarged scale through the device at the line2 2 in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a face view of'the device as seen from the right in Fig.2;

Fig. 4 is an end view of thecleaning head, partly in section;

Fig. 5 is a longitudinal sectional view through the handle-of the device;

Fig. 6 is a face View of the-parts at the upper end portion of the handle as seen from the right in Fig. 5;

Fig. 7 is a face View of the parts at the lower end portion of the handle as seen =from the right 'in said Fig. 5;

Fig. 8 is a face view of one of the flexible hinge coupling devices by which the-cleaning head is mounted on the handle; and

Fig. 9 is a cross sectional view taken at the line 9-9 in Fig. 8.

Referring now to the several figures of the drawings, in which corresponding parts are indicated by the same reference characters, 15 indi'cates :a *window formed of glass against which a cleaning face of a head 16 of a cleaning device is held in position and .is pressed firmly against the pane of the window or other surface by the use of a handle in the form of a hollow metal pipe 17 connected as hereinafter described to a flexible hose 18 by which water under'pressure is fed to the pipe and thence to the head ofthe cleaning device.

In the construction illustrated, the pipe 17 is provided at its end with a fitting 19 secured thereon by means of screw-threads, 'with the fitting connected by a sleeve connector 20, a nipple 21, and a clamp 22 of any approved type with the'end of the hose 18, a gasket 23 being interposed for providing-a tight joint.

As is clearly shown in Fig. '5, the fitting 19 is provided with an opening through a thickened portion 24 of its side wall, in which opening a disc 25 of rubber or the like is mounted, being pressed tightly into position in the opening by a collar 26 adjustablymounted in position by means of screw threads. Formed integrally with the disc 25, there is a hub-like part 27 which is bonded or fixed inposition on a lever 28 extending through the opening of the hub-like part 27. The arrangement is such that the lever 28 can be very quickly and easily mounted in operative positionso as to be readily movable angularly with respect to the fitting 19, while at the same time a complete and effective seal is provided between the fitting and the lever.

At the opposite end of the pipe 17, a fitting 29 is mounted by means of screw-threads, having a nipple 30 thereon which has ascrew-threade'd connection with a T-coupling 31, which in turn has elbows 32 and 33 connected therewith preferably by means of screwthreads. As is clearly shown insaid Fig. 5, a thickened side portion '34 of the side wall of the fitting 29 is provided with anopening therethrough, in which a disc 35 of rubber or the like is mounted, being pressed tightly into position in the opening by a collar 36 adjustably mounted in position by means of screw-threads. Formed integrally with the disc 35, .there is a hub-like part 37 which is bonded or otherwise fixed ingposition on a lever 38 extending through the'opening of-the hub-like part 37. The arrangement is such that the lever 38-can be very quickly and easily mounted in operative position so as to be readily movable angularly with respect to the fitting 29, while at the same time -a complete and effective seal is provided between the fitting and the'lever.

As is clearly shown in Fig. 5, the lever 38 is in the form of a bellcrank, with the free end portion of the lever positioned loosely in an opening 39 in the outer face of the fitting 29, a coiled spring 40 being interposed'between the end portion of the lever and the adjacent wall portion of the .fi'tting '29 forholding the lever 3 normally swung to the limit of its movement in clockwise direction in said Fig. 5. At the end of the inwardlyextending arm of the lever 38, a knob 41 is provided, having snap holding engagement with an opening in a ball 42 of rubber or other resilient material. The arrangement is such that when the lever is pressed by the spring 40 to the limit of its motion the ball 42 acts as a valve for tightly closing the longitudinal opening through the fitting 29. The ball 42 is provided with an eye member 43 extending therefrom, such eye member being connected by a flexible link 44 of any suitable type with the inner end portion of the lever 28. When the lever 28 is pressed toward the pipe 17 in counter-clockwise direction in Fig. 5, the ball or valve 42 is moved downwardly away from its seat so as to permit a free passage of water through the fitting 29. When the pressure on the lever 28 is terminated, the spring 40 serves to return the valve to its closure position as shown in said Fig. 5.

As is best shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the head 16 is a rectangular body having greater length than width and is made of rubber or similar yielding material. It is formed with a chamber 45 extending longitudinally thereof, such chamber being provided by the formation of the head 16 about a pipe 46. The head includes a rectilinear cleaning face portion provided with a central area of spaced apart ribs 50 and intervening grooves or channels 51 and also formed in relation to the operating handle with forward, aft and side marginal portions which together surround the ribbed central area. The forward marginal portion of said face portion is provided with a channel 48 which extends lengthwise of the head and communicates with the channels 51 between the ribs 50, the said channel 48 serving to distribute liquid to the several channels 51. The ribbed central area is divided into two groups by means of channel 9 leading from the channel 48 and tapering in width toward the aft marginal portion of the head. The ribs of each group of said central ribbed area extend diagrammatically in opposite directions from said channels 48 and 49 toward the side and aft marginal portions of the cleaning face.

As is shown in Fig. 2, in which the parts are illustrated in normal non-stressed condition, the face of the aft marginal portion of the head 16 is in angled position relative to the longitudinal face plane of the ribs 50 and are provided with grooves 52 which taper toward their openings through the aft marginal portion of the head. In Fig. 4, the head 16 is shown pressed firmly against the face of the window 15, with the forward, aft and side marginal portions compressed to permit the ribbed central portion of the cleaning face to engage the surface of the window 15 or other surface being cleaned.

In the arrangement shown in Fig. 3, the head is pro vided with longitudinally-extending grooves 53 in its forward marginal rib and with grooves 54 extending along the side marginal ribs. These grooves are provided for effectively confining the body of water within the head 16 during the cleaning operation. The aft marginal portion is provided with a series of outlets 52 in the form of grooves.

The means for connecting the pipe or handle 17 with the head 16 comprises two blocks of resilient material in the form of balls 55 preferablyof rubber. There are two of such balls for connecting the elbows 32 and 33 with the pipe 46. Each of the balls is cast directly about two aligned nipples 56 and 57 having flanges 58 at their spaced adjacent end portions, such balls being cast with openings 59 therethrough communicating with the longitudinal openings of the nipples. The nipples 57 are secured by screw-threads in the elbows 32 and 33, while the nipples 56 are secured by screw-threads in suitable openings in the pipe 46 molded in the head 16. Each of the balls 55 is provided with fairly deep grooves 60 and .61 in substantially parallel position with respect to each other in the top and bottom faces of the balls,

whereby the connection of the handle with the head 16 of the device is relatively flexible to permit movement of the handle to various angular positions relative to the plane of the cleaning face, but prevents lateral flexing of said connections toward the side margins of the head 16.

In operation, the head 16, when used to clean a window pane, is manipulated by means of the handle 17, being placed lightly against the face of the window as shown in Fig. 2, or alternatively being pressed with the desired degree of pressure against the Window, as shown for example in Fig. 4. Water under pressure is fed to the face of the head at any time when the valve 42 is moved away from its seat by the use of the lever 28 against the action of the spring 40. When the head is pressed lightly against the window, the water, used as a cleaning liquid, covers the area of the window pane and said cleaning surface within the confines of said forward and side marginal ribs. However, when the head is pressed tightly against the window so as to cause the ribbed central area of the cleaning face to be brought into effective squeegee action with respect to the window, so that, when the head is reciprocated across the face of the glass with a suitable supply of water fed directly to the ribs along the many channels 51, a highly effective cleaning operation is brought about and the dirt thus removed is carried away in the discharged water, any dirt adhering to the faces of the ribs will be removed by the force of the water when the pressure on the head 16 is relieved to permit the ribs 50 to move away from the window pane. The strength of the balls 55 is such that a high degree of pressure may be applied on the head through the handle 17, with the balls adapted to yield to a very slight extent whenever necessary for passing roughened or uneven portions of the surface being cleaned. By reason of the tapered form of the grooves 52, and the normal angled position of the lower portion of the face of the head, it will be noted that the opportunity for the escape of the water from the grooves is substantially cut down when the head is pressed strongly against the window or other surface being cleaned, where by the water discharged is in the form of a jet. Whenever the aggregate size of the escape openings is thus cut down, there is a distinct tendency for an increase in the effective pressure of the water in the grooves.

For efiecting the final wiping of the window, after the completion of a scrubbing operation, a squeegee 62 is mounted in position longitudinally of the head by means of brackets 63 extending into the head 16, a bar 64 for supporting the squeegee being provided between the brackets 63. For use of this squeegee 62, the device as a whole can be inverted and moved so as to make the squeegee etfective as may be desired.

While the use of the form of device as shown by the drawings and as above described is preferred, the invention is not to be limited thereto except so far as the same may be specifically claimed, it being understood that changes may well be made in the form and arrangement of the parts without departing from the spirit of the in vention.

I claim:

1. In a surface cleaning device, the combination of a head of resilient material having a chamber therein for containing a cleaning liquid and provided with a rectilinear portion defining a cleaning face comprising a central area of spaced apart ribs having longitudinal faces aligned in a single plane and forward, aft and side marginal portions surrounding said ribbed central area, a marginal rib extending along said forward and side marginal portions in spaced relation to said central area of ribs and cooperating therewith to provide a liquid distributing channel communicating with the spaces between the ribs of said central area, the said marginal rib normally projecting beyond the plane of the central ribbed area but being compressible to permit said central area of ribs to engage the surface to be cleaned, passageways leading from said chamber to said liquid distributing channel, and means for manipulating said head across the surface to be cleaned and for delivering cleaning liquid under pressure to said chamber.

2. A cleaning device according to claim 1 in which said spaced apart ribs are arranged obliquely on said central area, some of which terminate at the opposite side marginal portions of the cleaning face and others terminate at the aft marginal portion.

3. A cleaning device according to claim 2 characterized in that outlets are provided only in the aft marginal portion of the cleaning face for the escape of liquid from the head.

4. A cleaning device constructed according to claim 3 characterized in that a tapered channel is provided at about the middle of the cleaning face to divide the centrally ribbed area into two groups both of which have certain channels communicating with said tapered channel.

5. A cleaning device constructed according to claim 4 characterized in that pressure on the head against a flat surface serves to distort the resilient marginal portions of the head to bring said marginal portions of the cleaning face into substantial alignment with the major portion of the cleaning face.

6. A cleaning device constructed according to claim 5 characterized in that said outlets are grooves which increase in depth toward the aft margin of the cleaning face ribs of tapering height.

7. In a cleaning device the combination with a head portion having a cleaning face of substantial area for bearing flat aganist a surface to be cleaned, means embodied in said head providing a rigid walled chamber for containing cleaning liquid, passageways leading from said chamber to the cleaning face, of a handle for said head comprising a rigid tube and means for flexibly connecting the tube to the means providing said rigid walled chamber comprising a rubber ball formed with a central passageway therethrough providing communication of the said rigid tube with said rigid walled chamber and formed on its outer surface at opposite sides of the passageway through the ball with opposed grooves extending parallel to the longitudinal axis of the head portion, whereby the ball has its greatest flexiblity about an axis extending through said ball between said opposed grooves and parallel therewith to permit free angular movement of the handle relative to the plane of said cleaning face but resist angular movements of the handle in a direction lengthwise of said axis.

8. A cleaning device as specified in claim 7 in which said handle is provided at one end with diverging portions and said head is connected to said diverging portions of the handle by means of a pair of said rubber balls having deep V-shaped grooves formed in their top and bottom faces extending parallel to the longitudinal axis of the head portion, whereby the balls flex with a yielding hinging action only about an axis extending lengthwise of said V-shaped grooves.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 570,231 Ruckstinat Oct. 27, 1896 931,128 Keith Aug. 17, 1909 1,132,449 Cox Mar. 16, 1915 1,334,911 Lampkin Mar. 23, 1920 1,558,503 Pressler Oct. 27, 1925 1,840,023 Couture Ian. 5, 1932 2,186,140 Kurtz Jan. 9, 1940 2,295,490 Sandherr Sept. 8, 1942 2,369,708 Baker et a1. Feb. 20, 1945 2,452,057 Kehoe Oct. 26, 1948 2,528,599 Loether Nov. 7, 1950 2,658,218 Carreiro Nov. 10, 1953 FOREIGN PATENTS 29,676 Great Britain Dec. 21, 1910 90,443 Sweden Oct. 5, 1937 

